The Silent Force
by It's The Fear
Summary: Sequel to Break the Silence. The moment she heard the fate of the Starks, Gwynne knew one thing and one thing only; she had to find Jon. With the rest of his family being either held captive, missing, or fallen, Gwynne swore to find her way to the Wall to finally be reunited with the man she's always regretted losing.
1. Chapter 1

She would have to go through hell to get back to him but she would die trying, if that's what it took. When she had run away from Winterfell all those years ago, she had vowed to herself to live a life of solitude and remorse for playing with the hearts of a Stark and a Snow. Instead of choosing one over the other, Gwynne had chosen neither and fled Winterfell in the middle of the night.

The Starks had given her everything and she had betrayed them in a way that would haunt her for the rest of her days. The Gods would ultimately be the ones to judge her when her days came to an end and she had planned to spend the rest of them praying for forgiveness, both from the Gods and the Starks.

And then, just like that, all of the innocence of their past seemed to vanish within the blink of an eye.

Jon had left for a life at the Wall. Lord Stark had been slaughtered by the Lannisters. The Stark sisters, Sansa and Arya, were being held prisoner by the family that had murdered their father. The North was at war with Winterfell being lost in the wreckage. Robb had married and had been murdered along with his mother, Lady Stark, and his new wife.

She had heard the horrid stories of everyone's demise. Everyone but Jon Snow.

The people she encountered had been quick to assure her of the bastard's death. _Those bastards will see to it to kill each and every living Stark, I can assure you that,_ a man had drunkenly told her one night in the dinning hall of an inn she had been staying at. _If they slaughtered even little Rickon, I promise you they will find and flay the bastard, as well._

She hadn't wanted to believe it, but in the all of the death and darkness that had taken over her world, Gwynne knew that anything was possible. It would take months to reach the Wall, but she knew that it housed the only one who still mattered and it was where she needed to be.

Through her journey, Gwynne stopped and spent the night at whatever inn her horse would collapse by. It was the only time she would let herself take a break from the long ride. She couldn't afford to lose her horse, not with such a long distance between herself and the Wall. The weather was changing swiftly, growing colder and biting deeper into her bone with each passing day. Winter was coming and she feared what it could bring with it.

_Death. _The voice in the back of her head was as bitter as the wind that crept under the cloak that shielded her body from the worst of it. But still, she pushed her horse further North. Death was the only thing that could stop her from finding Jon. For all she knew, she was the last person he would want to see. She had good reason to be. And yet, it wasn't enough to deter her from going to him.

As she grew closer to the Wall, Gwynne's horse had finally succumbed to the journey. The cold and lack of shelter as they travelled further North had proven to be too much for it to handle. She had been left with no other choice but to travel the remainder of the way by foot. It had taken no more than a few hours before she began to regret her decision. The cold was setting in and each step further seemed harder and harder to make.

Snow began to fall and cloud Gwynne's vision. She reached up and bunched her hood tightly around her face to try and shield herself from the oncoming snow. To her disappointment, it didn't seem to help much. And then she saw something and it stopped dead in her tracks.

She blinked feverishly, trying to assure herself that her eyes had simply been playing tricks on her. And yet, nothing changed. There it stood before her, a destroyed and seemingly deserted Winterfell. She tried to step forward, to run towards her home and cry and beg the Gods to turn back time. But her legs were firmly planted into the ground. A few seconds later, they collapsed beneath her.

The hood that protected her from the cold fell to her shoulders as her palms dug into the snow covering the ground. She sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she finally mourned for all that had been lost. She had heard people whispering about Theon capturing Winterfell, but she had never truly believed them. It wasn't until she had stumbled across the burning town that she realized all she had heard was the truth.

Her heart ached when she remembered all those times she had watched Robb, Jon and Theon laugh and joke around with one another. Many of those times she had been right there, laughing amongst them. The four of them had been inseparable at one point in their childhood and she couldn't fathom how he could do this to the people who had raised him like one of their own. He had often referred to himself as a "Stark prisoner" when it was just the two of them, but even Theon knew that couldn't have been further from the truth. Ned Stark held him within the Wall of Winterfell to keep his father from waging war again, but Theon had grown up amongst all the Stark children as though he had been one himself

He had been trained in the art of battle and learned to wield a sword alongside Ned's first born son and heir. He had never gone hungry and had received the same punishments as Robb when they disobeyed their parents and gone astray.

Despite everything, Gwynne understood that she was no better than Theon. She betrayed them, though not to the extent that Theon had. But no matter how many tears she cried out there in the open field just beyond the broken down walls, Gwynne continued struggling to come to terms with what lay before her, rotting in the snow. She had never wanted to stop her journey to the Wall more than she did in that moment. She wanted to give up, to curl up into a ball and let the cold take her. And yet, somehow she managed to find the strength to push herself back to her feet and towards the rubble of the place she had once called home.

She could smell something burning in the air as she walked past the walls and into the streets of Winterfell. Houses had been burnt to the ground with decaying bodies laid scattered amongst the rubble. She recognized some of the rotting faces and would have thrown up had she eaten anything in the past few days. It all seemed like a dream, too outlandish to be reality. Until a noise suddenly erupted from an approaching alleyway and she found herself snapped out of the deep trance.

The old her would have turned to Jon or Robb for help and protection, but she had lost them both. She only had herself, now. Gwynne stepped forward and cautiously looked into the alley. It could have been a friendly face or an unknown enemy, but to her surprise it had turned out to be neither.

She looked at the silky white coat and subconsciously moved towards the horse she had tried to train in the field just a few years ago. The snowflakes blended into the horse's body and Gwynne reached forward, her fingertips burning with desperation to touch the beautiful animal standing before her.

Gwynne remembered the first time she had laid eyes on the horse. She had been out riding with Jon after sundown one night. They had lost track of time and knew they were going home to a tongue lashing so they rode their horses back as fast as they would take them. She had seen a movement from the corner of her eye but managed to convince herself that she was just making it up. They kept riding until she finally listened to the voice in the back of her mind and glanced over her shoulder. She had never seen a horse so pure and untouched before and it had taken her breath away for a split second. Jon's voice had distracted her from the horse and before long she had lost sight of it. Nearly a year later, she had tried to tame the wild horse in the very field she had just collapsed in. And here it was, standing before her, in the rubble of Winterfell.

"Come here. It's okay." She shivered violently under her heavy cloak but tried to steady her voice to avoid frightening the horse away. This horse was her last hope to reach the Wall. If she tried to go any further on her own, she would collapse from exhaustion and exposure. _My death is the only way I will not find you, Jon. I swear to you, I will not give up. If you're alive, I will find you._

She prayed to the Gods to grant her this one thing. She could go another day without food and could ration whatever water remained. The only thing she needed was this horse to carry her the rest of the way to the Wall. She would thank them for the rest of her days if it meant they would give her this.

The horse hesitated and sniffed Gwynne's hand cautiously. It could have sensed her sadness or her desperation, but something it smelt made it relax and allow her shaky hand to gently stroke its nose. Gwyne spent the next few minutes gaining the horse's trust. She ran her frozen fingertips through it's soft mane which drew a happy neigh from the animal. Eventually, when Gwynne had found enough courage to try, she moved closer to the horse and climbed onto its back.

She tried to brace herself for a fall, assuming the horse would instantly try to throw her off its back. To her surprise, the horse had decided to let her remain seated on it. She leaned forward and stroked the horse's neck, a small smile spreading across her dry lips as a distant memory suddenly took over.

Lord Stark had just taught Robb how to ride a horse without a saddle and a rein. _A man should always be prepared, no matter what situation you may find yourself in._ Ned had told his heir. _It is a skill you may never need but one that is important to possess._ It had taken Robb longer than he would have liked to admit, but eventually he was able to command his horse without using the tools he had grown accustomed to. He had already taught his half brother and eagerly suggested Gwynne had let him teach her, too. She had at first resisted, but Robb knew he would eventually wear her down. He also knew his Lady mother would be furious if she found out he was teaching Gwynne something so unladylike, so he came up with a way to try and hide it. Robb gave Gwynne some of his clothes to wear to prevent destroying her dresses and leaving evidence of their lessons for handmaidens to find and alert Lady Stark.

Robb's plan had worked. It worked and Gwynne had finally become comfortable with riding a horse without help from either a saddle or a rein. The memory stung when she suddenly realized that she had lost him twice. And just like that, everything seemed as distant as the Wall.

If she had stayed in Winterfell and married Robb, would that have altered the course of their lives? Would the Starks still be alive or would the Gods have simply taken them away in a different way?

_You cannot keep focusing on what could have been. Find Jon. Go to him, go to him now._

She listened to the voice in the back of her mind and prepared herself for the remainder of her long journey. In just under a day, she would be at the Wall. She would find Jon and somehow, someway, everything would be okay. All she had to do was live long enough to get there.

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**So, what did everyone think of the first chapter? Drop a review! I'd love to know what you think!**


	2. She is my Sin

**Alright, so since I haven't updated this story for a while, I figured I would give you guys something juicy to stay interested. The reason why I've been taking so long with this chapter is because I want to try and be as accurate as possible without ruining everything. There will probably be some things that will make you go, "wait, what? That doesn't make sense" but just bear with me. I'm trying my best and hope I don't disappoint any of you.**

** Remember to drop a review because I'd love to know what you think of this chapter! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!**

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Her surroundings were a blur as Gwynne raced through the countryside. Her eyes saw the trees and alerted her to duck her head when branches approached overhead , but her mind seemed to be in an entirely different world altogether.

Since she left Winterfell, Gwynne had thought of the Starks and the bastard son endlessly. There wasn't a moment that passed where she didn't wonder what they were doing at that moment in time. She also wondered if any of them missed her or if they despised her very being for abandoning Robb and turning her back on all they had given her. When Gwynne received news of their demises, crippling grief had stricken her beyond anything she had ever felt before.

She had always told herself that there was time to make things right. Somewhere down the road, when she found the courage to return to Winterfell, she would go back and apologize for all she had done. She would beg for their forgiveness and would accept any punishment they deemed fit considering the circumstance. But then their entire world seemed to come crashing down around them and before she knew it, it was too late.

One by one, Gwynne heard news of losing nearly all of the Starks and realized that she had forever lost the opportunity to apologize to the people who had accepted her as one of their own. None of them deserved to die the way they had and she could only imagine Jon's horror of discovering the slaughter of his family while being so far away and helpless to stop it. Gwynne didn't possess much knowledge of the Wall, but she remembered Jon mentioning most of the men there not being able to leave. Even if Jon had wanted to seek revenge and retaliate against those who had murdered and kidnapped his family, Jon Snow would be forbidden to leave his place at the Wall. He could do nothing but stay in the cold and await news of what was left of his family being slaughtered.

Gwynne kicked the side of the horse, silently urging it to go faster. The air was growing colder with each step forward, the bitterness nipping at her face as it blew passed her. She reached up with a gloved hand and pulled the thick fabric of her hood closer to try and shield herself from the frigged air. She shivered violently at the thought of how cold it would be once she reached the Wall. She was still at least several hours away from arriving and finally began worrying about going there in the first place.

Not only did she have to worry about the never ending cold once she finally reached her destination, but there seemed to be a number of other obstacles that would soon be standing in her way. Women weren't allowed at the Wall, never have and never will be. Would the other men at the Wall even let her approach it without harm? And if she was let in, would Jon want anything to do with her? She not only broke his heart, but broke his brother's and betrayed his family. For all she knew, he wouldn't even want to lay eyes on her.

Still, all of that wasn't enough to discourage her from her journey. If he wanted nothing to do with her, at least she could live out the rest of her days knowing she tried. Knowing she tried and failed would be a much better fate than simply not knowing what could have been.

_At least you know he's there. He can't leave, he has to still be there._

And then, all of a sudden, a feeling of dread consumed her body. What if something had happened to Jon after all this time? She heard of the fates of the Starks but that was because they were Starks. The people of the North loved them as though they were their own blood, but would anyone care if something ill were to befall the bastard son of Ned Stark? Maybe he had been slain months ago and she had just never heard anyone speak of it.

More desperate to reach the Wall than every before, Gwynne kicked the side of her horse again and took off down the road towards the Wall.

Every single time Jon Snow closed his eyes, he saw her. He saw her dark, wavy hair rest against the curve of her neck and her beautiful smile that never ceased to make his knees weak. As the days passed, he found it harder and harder to remember the way she felt and the way she tasted. He had always assured himself that those would be two things he would never forget but time had proven him wrong and he couldn't the defeat.

He was drifting in and out of consciousness and each time he stirred he felt an overpowering wave of pain shoot through his body. Within seconds, it drew him back to the dark where he felt no pain and could finally be reunited with her.

He imagined himself training in the yard with Grenn and swore he could feel the warmth of the sun caress his face from high above. He could feel the sweat on his brow and the cold of his leather sleeve as he wiped the perspiration from his skin. And then he heard her voice and his sword nearly fell out of his hand.

Following the sound, Jon nearly crumbled to the ground when he saw her approaching. A crowd of curious men watched in disbelief as a woman ran into the yard. They watched and murmured amongst themselves when she threw herself in the arms of Ned Stark's bastard. Jon could even hear the sound of his sword hitting the cold ground below his feet as he wrapped his arms around the woman he had always loved.

In his dreams, Gwynne being at the Wall was never a problem. She was accepted by all men and bothered by none. They simply bowed their heads when she passed and assisted her with whatever she needed if Jon wasn't around. None of them had ever tried to hurt her or force themselves on her. In Jon's dreams she was his and only his.

His fingertips burned whenever he reached out and touched her. Their first night together played out like a beautiful dream he wished he never awoke from.

Jon had tried to restrain himself all day from grabbing her and kissing her in front of his sworn brothers. He had broken his vow once before and had promised himself never again. Honour was important to the Starks, and even though his last name was Snow, he still tried desperately to follow in his father's footsteps. Even Ned Stark had broken his word, one that had resulted in the birth of Jon. And when she knocked on his door in the dead of night, Jon knew he couldn't resist finally being with her.

He had a few candles that still burned in his room when he opened the door to see Gwynne standing before him. She stepped out of the shadows and he felt a foreign feeling surge through his body. He hadn't felt it since the last time he had been alone with her and though in reality it wasn't that long ago, to Jon it felt as though it had been in another lifetime.

She closed the door behind her and leaned her body up against it, taking in the sight of Jon standing before her once again. She could hear his heavy breathing in the silent air that surrounded them. She wondered briefly if he could hear the pounding of her heart just as well.

Finally, Jon stepped forward and closed the distance between them. He rested one arm against the door, just over Gwynne's head, while the other cupped her cheek in his hand. He could feel the warmth of her skin against his and convinced himself that his dream had become a reality. As time passed, it had become too easy for Jon to confuse a dream with his reality. How many mornings had he woken up and looked beside him expecting to see Gwynne fast asleep? In truth, it was nearly every night since he had reached the Wall that he had awoken and expected her to be beside him. No matter how hard he had prayed to the Gods, she never was.

If this truly was a reality, then Jon would worry about the consequences in the morning. She had come all this way for him and that thought alone made him want to run away from the Wall to start a life with her somewhere else.

He felt her smile against his palm and watched her tilt her head to plant a kiss against his hand. The night was cold and bitter and crept in through Jon's closed window. It had given all the rooms in the castle a chill in the air, but Jon being so close to her had quickly began to warm her body. The warmth radiating off his skin reminded her that he was alive, despite everything that had happened since the last time she had seen him.

"I've waited so long to see you smile again." Jon whispered, his thumb circling Gwynne's cheek. Her smile only grew wider. She had spent so much time imagining all of this that she couldn't stop herself. If Jon wanted her, she would surrender fully to whatever he desired. She could already feel the moisture between her legs and rubbed her thighs together to try and suppress it. But she knew Jon wanted her just as badly from his ragged breathing. She was sure that if she glanced up at the hand over her head she would see it clenched in an attempt to restrain himself from her.

"Have you missed me, Jon?"

Gwynne's thought had been right. As soon as he heard her speak, his hand clenched tightly into a fist. His fingernails were short but he could feel them pierce against his skin from the sheer force. He let out a breathless laugh and closed the remaining distance between them. He pressed his body against hers and rested his forehead against Gwynne's. "So much."

Gwynne brought her arms up to circle around Jon's neck. She swore she could feel him shiver against her when she made contact his with exposed skin. "Then why haven't you kissed me yet?"

As soon as she finished her sentence, Jon's lips found hers. He had swore to remain faithful to his oath but he was only a man. He had restrained himself in Winterfell and they had been separated. He had been sure he would never see her again and it was something that had always killed him inside. If the Gods had truly meant to keep them apart, would they have brought her right back to him after all that had happened?

Gwynne moved her body against Jon's when she felt his hard and pressed against her. Even through the fabric of their clothing, she felt the desire he had for her. They had both waited so long and had both given up hope of ever truly being together. Their reunion was a second chance given to them by the Gods themselves and neither one of them could restrain from finally becoming one.

His hands were shaking as Jon reached down to unbutton the top of the dress that covered Gwynne's body. She slipped the fur cloak off her shoulders as Jon inched the dress towards her feet. The dress fell to her feet in a puddle and Jon turned to removing his own. Gwynne kept her body pressed against the door, standing only in a thin nightgown that she had worn for extra warmth from the cold air that surrounded the Wall.

Jon finally tore his lips away from hers and lifted his shirt over his head. Without taking his eyes off of her, Jon tossed the shirt somewhere behind him and hoped it wouldn't fall atop the flame of a candle. Even if it did, he wasn't sure he would be able to tear himself away from Gwynne long enough to put out the fire. If he died in that room, he would die the happiest man in all of Westeros.

Gwynne spoke up as Jon eagerly undid his pants. "Show me how much you've missed me, Jon."

Jon reached out and grabbed a hold of the thin fabric of Gwynne's nightgown. He tore it apart effortlessly and murmured an apology before claiming her lips once again. He reached down to grab a hold of her and lift her up into the air. She was smaller than he had remembered and assumed she must have not had access to the food her body needed to thrive on her way to the Wall. He would get her something to eat, but right now, he knew she wanted him just as badly. Her desire for him had completely consumed the desire for food.

Their lips never parted as Jon crossed the room and laid her down on top of his mattress. He had envisioned all of this so many times before that each second he wasn't inside of her seemed like pure agony.

He could feel his fingertips shaking violently as they explored Gwynne's body, drawing a shiver from the girl beneath him. He traced a line from her jawline to the space between her breasts, finally reaching what they desired at the centre of her legs. He smiled against her lips when he felt a slick moisture against his fingertips. She squirmed, almost embarrassed, and Jon had to assure her that it was nothing to be ashamed of. Her shyness put him at ease because it meant that she hadn't gone to bed with his brother when Jon left for the Wall and Gwynne stayed at Winterfell.

It had always been something he feared. Would she turn to Robb for comfort in Jon's absence and find herself in bed with him? After all, she was set to marry the eldest Stark. If she had given herself to him, there would have been no shame in it. From the moment Jon first reached the Wall to when he received the letter from Robb stating that Gwynne had run away, Jon had a constant pain in his heart from the thought of Gwynne being in his brother's arms.

Truth be told, Jon had never quite understood how Gwynne had chosen himself over his half brother. Robb had everything that Jon would never be able to offer. He was good looking and the heir to Winterfell. No matter where they went, women would swoon whenever Robb would flash them a smile. He was a strong fighter and had a strong sense of nobility. Another thing Robb had over his bastard brother was a future. Robb could have given Gwynne anything she had ever desired in life. Jon could give her nothing but children who would be forced to live with the shame of having Snow for a last name.

All of that vanished from his mind the moment he slipped a finger inside of Gwynne. Her back arched and she let out a soft moan as he felt her warmth tightly wrap around his finger. He kissed her harder out of desperation as she moaned in his mouth. He had taken a lover before Gwynne, but it hadn't been like this. She had replaced the one he lost and though he mourned for her, it hadn't been the same as when he left Gwynne behind.

"Jon, please..." She begged between kisses. He hadn't been the only one to lay awake at night, imagining them together. It was all that had kept Gwynne going all this time. She had prayed endlessly to be reunited with him, and laying under him with no fabric separating them was overwhelming. They could spend the rest of the night tangled in each other, but right now, she needed to feel more than just a few fingers inside of her.

Hesitantly, Jon took his finger out of her and grabbed a steady hold of his erection. He positioned himself on top of her and rubbed the tip of himself against her moist lips. She kissed him feverishly, her entire body alight from sensations she didn't know a human could experience. If this was how it felt to be with Jon, she feared she would never let him leave the bed.

He whispered to her and told her that it might hurt but he would take it slow. She grabbed a tight hold of his shoulders as Jon slid himself inside of her, moving as slowly as his body would allow. He hissed when he felt her wrapped so tightly around him. He had built this moment up so many times in his head that he was afraid it would end up disappointing him. But Gwynne's body couldn't have been further from disappointment. No words could ever describe the pure bliss that consumed Jon's body as he buried himself inside of her.

He knew he wouldn't be able to continue for much longer. His body was so anxious from the endless desire of Gwynne that he felt as though he was a mere moments from spilling his seed inside of her. He had imagined the way she felt around him for longer than he would have liked to admit, but never could he have imagined it would be this good.

She ran her fingernails along Jon's back, digging in to leave a mark for him to remember her tomorrow and pushed Jon to go faster and harder. Her pain had switched so suddenly to pleasure that Gwynne's mind had been reduced to a hazy disaster.

Jon gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold on. He clenched his jaw with such force he was scared he may lose a few teeth in the process. He buried his face in Gwynne's neck and told her that she was unable to hold on any longer. He groaned against her skin as he felt himself explode inside of her, filling her with his seed.

Jon's eyes opened slowly and he tilted his head, silently praying to the Gods that his dream had finally become a reality. His worst fear was confirmed when he found the spot beside him was empty. The pain took over again and brought Jon back into the darkness that summoned him relentlessly.


	3. Time is Running Out

** Alright, guys, here's another chapter for you! From here on out, everything that I write is more or less made up...so I'm seriously hoping it makes sense. I'm going to try my best, but let me know what you think, regardless of whether you like it or not. Thanks for reading!**

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Throughout her entire life, Gwynne had never truly been alone. She had lost both of her parents at a young age, and yet the family her father had given his life for had quickly claimed her as one of their own. From that point on, she had never once felt as though she no longer had a family. The Starks had become her family, though they shared different surnames.

Lady Stark had a secret desire to have another daughter that remained hidden from all until Gwynne had come into her life. Even Ned had noticed the way his wife's eyes seemed to light up whenever Gwynne came into sight. Cat loved Bran and Rickon but a part of her had hoped that when she first laid eyes on them she would see a little girl cradled in her arms that bore the features of a Stark. When Gwynne's father was killed, Cat had been quick to pull the girl into her arms and stroke her hair gently, to comfort her and give her the love only a mother could give. Lady Stark had made no objection when her husband proposed the idea of raising the orphan girl amongst their children. Gwynne was sure that Cat had a much different reaction when Ned told her his bastard would live side by side with his true born son and heir.

As the children grew older and Gwynne began to become a woman, the men of Winterfell began to take notice. She had young men try to woo her and court her into marriage and it was something that had always made both Robb and Jon slightly uncomfortable. Robb had spent so many years agonizing over the idea of men trying to kiss and touch his sister, Sansa, that he hadn't thought to think of Gwynne. The brothers knew how men were and tried their best to protect Gwynne from their tricks. That included protecting her from Theon.

Theon had began to notice Gwynne changing body and couldn't help but make a few comments about what he would do to it if he ever got her alone. Jon had groaned in disgust and Robb's hand had quickly clenched into a fist. Robb told Theon once, and once only, that if he ever heard even a rumour of Theon doing anything inappropriate with Gwynne, he would end his life. Theon had laughed it off but when Jon took a step closer, standing directly behind Robb's right shoulder, he nodded in defeat.

Over the years, Robb and Jon had made it very clear to Gwynne that they would protect her, no matter what. No matter where she was or what she was doing, she always knew that one of them would be there to help her if she needed it. Now, looking back, she felt as though she couldn't have been more wrong. Robb was gone, Theon was a traitor, and Jon's fate remained unknown to her, though she tried desperately to remain hopeful.

Her heart pounded furiously as the Wall finally came into view. She had heard countless stories involving the Wall over the years but had never imagined it to look the way it did before her. The heavy snowfall made it hard to see the horizon but the closer she got, the better she could see it, towering over her as though she was the size of an ant.

_I'm almost there, Jon. I'm almost there._

Gwynne was so close she could feel it. She brought her horse to a steady stop outside of the oversized wooden doors, tilting her head back to try and see to the top. She let out a sigh that quickly turned into a shiver. Clearly, she hadn't thought this all the way through. Had she made the long, treacherous journey only to come to a dead end? Had she truly come all this way just to be denied seeing him one last time?

She opened her mouth to scream at someone, anyone, to open the gates and let her through. _Women aren't allowed at the Wall, _Jon had once told her. _They would eat you alive if you ever went there. _Even though she could hear Jon's words as though he was standing right beside her, she did her best to push them to the back of her mind. Now was not the time to lose sight of her goal. Though she had no protection, other than Jon should he still be willing, Gwynne refused to be bullied out of finding Jon. She didn't care what they did to her, as long as she got to see his face one last time.

The gate made a loud creaking sound before she heard the aged wood begin to shift against the heavy snowfall. Her horse neighed nervously, taking a step back as Gwynne did her best to calm the beast. She glanced up again, searching for Jon standing on the edge as he opened the doors to her, but the snow made it impossible to see anything even just a few feet away from her.

Once the door had opened far enough, Gwynne kicked her horse and took off with only Jon on her mind.

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The men of the Wall seemed to be in utter chaos. They were running around frantically, screaming at one another to _find them, every last one of them_, and no one seemed to pay her much attention. Scared and beginning to panic, Gwynne climbed off her horse and kept a gloved hand against the beast's neck. She could feel the warmth of the horse's skin through the fabric and it seemed to sooth her nerves as she scanned the faces for a familiar one.

"You're here for Jon."

Gwynne spun around and found herself staring into the eyes of a woman dressed only in red. Instinctively, Gwynne took a step backwards. There was a sudden feeling of dread that seemed to come from the other woman, a feeling that even seemed to spook the horse beside her.

The woman offered a small smile. "I'm not going to hurt you, Gwynne. There's no reason to fear me."

"How do you know my name?" She tried to make herself sound confident and unafraid, but it came out in a shaky whisper.

"Jon needs you. Come with me."

"Who are you?"

The woman glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "Should I assume you will not follow me until I tell you?" Silence. "My name is Melisandre. And Jon needs you."

The wooden door to Jon's bedchamber creaked open as the red woman took a step into the room. She held it open and motioned for Gwynne to enter. Hesitantly, Gwynne did as she was told and glanced around frantically. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, though Gwynne was sure it was simply because her nerves were getting the best of both her and her vision. And then she saw him, broken before her.

His lips had turned blue and were so dry they had cracked. She studied his chest, waiting to see it move up and down, to assure her that he was alive and merely taking a short rest. Gwynne was sure minutes had passed and she had yet to see even the slightest movement come from the bed. Whenever Gwynne had imagined Jon, she had always seen him smiling and laughing, or making jokes that only the two of them understood. Staring at his seemingly lifeless body, Gwynne was sure it would replace the once pleasant image of him from now until her final moment.

Finally, Gwynne's legs began to give out beneath her. The red woman had somehow sensed it and reached out to quickly steady the girl from Jon's past before she fell and hurt herself.

"He needs you, now more than ever. Go to him, Gwynne."

Already sobbing, Gwynne somehow managed to cross the room. She heard the door close as she took a seat on the edge of the mattress but concentrated only on the unmoving body of Jon Snow that lay before her. She had dreamt of this very moment hundreds of times since they had been separated and not a single time had it ever been like this. It had always been a joyous moment, one that was filled with smiles and laughter and secret kisses.

Her hands shook violently as she reached out towards him. She wasn't even sure if he was still breathing. Her fingers stopped before they made contact with his skin. She was sure he would be cold and frozen in place, the same way a dead body would. Gwynne could feel her heart ache painfully with each frantic beat it took. The ache was familiar, a feeling she had hoped she would never had to face again. The feeling of losing a loved one.

The red woman came up behind Gwynne, her eyes heavy for all that had been lost around her. "He needs you, Gwynne. He's dying."

Tears ran down Gwynne's cheeks as she finally let her fingertips trace over his forehead. She tucked back loose strands of dark hair, moving them away from the eyes that used to reduce her to nothing whenever she saw them. She would give anything to have them look back at her, just one more time.

"What can I do?" Gwynne's eyes never left Jon's bloodied face. He was tucked under a thick pelt but she could see the bandages wrapped around his shoulder._ He must be cold._ She pulled the pelt up further and tucked it underneath his stiff body.

"His journey must continue, but whether it does or not will rest on your shoulders. I'm sure that Jon has protected you throughout the years. Now it is your turn to protect him."

"Protect him from who? Who did this to him?" Gwynne could feel anger build inside of her. She knew nothing of what had happened to him but she knew that someone would have to pay. She had taken a life before. For Jon, she would do it again.

"Protect him from death."

Annoyed at the casual tone of her voice, Gwynne jumped to her feet and turned to face the strange woman who had led her to the man she loved. "Who are you, really? What are you doing here? Women aren't allowed at the Wall." For all Gwynne knew, this woman could have been the one who inflicted the injuries on Jon in the first place.

"Women aren't allowed at the Wall...and yet here you are." She watched Gwynne carefully as the flames of the candles illuminating the room lit her eyes. "I came here for the same reason you did, Gwynne. For Jon. He needs us, both of us, to fulfil the destiny the Gods have set out for him. Will you save him?"

"Of course I will. I'll do anything." It was exactly what the red woman wanted to hear. "Tell me what I need to do."

"Find Sansa Stark. Find her and bring her to me."


End file.
